Spike-puller.



PATENTED AUGJ25, 19,03.

C. P. TILLBERG. SPIKE FULLER.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 25, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

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Iatented August 25, 1963.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. TILLBERe, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPIKE-FULLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 737,530, dated August25, 1903.

Application filed June 25, 1903. Serial No. 163,067. (No model.)

To (all whom it may concern/.

Beit known that LCHARLEs F.TILLBEEG,a subject of the Emperor of Germany,residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inSpike-Pullers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in spike-pullers,and has for its object to provide an appliance whereby spikes may bewithdrawn or pulled upward in a straight line without bending the same;and a further object of my invention is to provide a machine of thischaracter which will be extremely simple in construction, durable andefficient in action, and may be manufactured at a comparatively smallcost.

With these ends in View this invention consists in the details ofconstruction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and thenspecifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this inventionappertains may understand how to make and use the same, the constructionand operation will now be described in detail, referring to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whichFigure l is a perspective view of the machine; Fig. 2, a longitudinalsection through the same; Fig. 3, a rear elevation of the upper portionof the machine; Fig. 4, a section on line 4: a of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, asection on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

The body of the machine consists of the two vertical side pieces A,which are joined together near the lower end by the cross-pieces A andat the upper end by the handle B. These side pieces are bent at rightangles on their forward edge, as shown at A and extend toward oneanother. A slight distance rearward of these lips A are secured theratchet-bars C, which are fastened to the inside of the side pieces A.The space between these ratchet bars and lips A provides a guideway forthe vertical sliding plate D. This plate D has a projection E, whichextends forward from the same between the lips A and these projectionsconsist of a stud E,

rounded on its upper edge, as shown in Fig. 5, and a housing E extendingfrom the forward face of the stud up and over the same at a slightdistance therefrom and joins with the plate D.

F represents theclaw, which is adapted to grip the spike, and this clawconsists of two members F, pivoted together at their central portion,andboth ends are exactly alike. One end of the claw is adapted to straddlethe stud E and hang upon the same. By pressing together the upper endsof the claw above the stud the lower ends of the claw may be separatedand opened, and these ends being brought upon each side of the spikewill grip said spike when the plate D is forced upward because of thefact that the rounded surface of the stud E will cause the upper ends ofthe members F to separate and therefore cause the lower ends of themembers F to bite into or grip the spike upon each side. This claw maybe changed end for end whenever desiredas, forinstance, when one endbecomes damaged it could be reversed.

G represents two pawls pivoted to the rearward face of the plate D, andthese pawls are adapted to be held in engagement with the teeth of theratchet-bars O by means of the spring H. These pawls G extend above thepivotal points, so as to form the heel ends G.

I is a small hand-lever pivoted to the upper end of the plate D- andprovided with a downwardly-dependi11g Wedge-shaped lug I, adapted toenter between the heel ends G of the pawls and force the pawls out ofengagement with the teeth when the lever I is depressed.

J represents ears extending rearward from the plate D, and pivotedbetween these cars is a link K, the other end of which is pivoted to theend of the hand-lever L. This handlever L is provided with a stud M,which extends from each side of the lever and is adapted to engage thenotches N, formed in the rearward edge of the side pieces A. The lowerends of the side pieces A are cut away, as represented at A so as to fitover the tread of a railroad-rail.

The operation of the device is as follows: In drawing railroad-spikesthe device isallowed to rest on top of the railroad-rail, and the longerlegs A will come downward in contact with the flange of the rail. here aguard-rail is close to the rail, these legs A might not have room to liein between. There fore the apparatus could be made 'withshort frontlegs, the same as the rear and beveled, as indicated at A in Fig. 2. Theclaw is then lowered by depressing the lever I and placing the studs Min the last notch. Then by opening the lower ends of the claw andplacing the same upon each side of the spike and by depressing the leverL the slide will be raised, and in raising the jaws of the claw willclose upon the spike and raise the same the distance that the slide hasbeen raised, and the pawl-and-ratchet bar will hold the slide in thisraised position. Then by placing the studs M in the next notch above andagain depressing the handle the spike will be pulled still farther out,and in very long spikes it might be necessary to again remove the studand place it in the topmost notch. Thus the spike will be pulleddirectly upward in a vertical line without bending. In removingwharf-spikes the device would then necessarily have to rest upon a beam,and in such cases 'I would make the rear legs the same length as theforward legs, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. I

It will be understood that this device can be made any length desiredand any number of notches could be used, so as to draw spikes of anylength.

The advantages of this device are that spikes may be removed in such acondition as to be used again without any labor in starting. Besides itis a well-known fact that spikes as removed to-day with crowbars andother spike-pullers are more or less bent when withdrawn, and it iseither necessary to throw the spikes away or have the same straightenedbefore they can again be used. This occasioned considerable outlay onthe part of the railroads.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction hereshown, as slight modifications could be made without departing from-thespirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and usefulis 1. Ina spike-puller, a body portion adapted to rest upon a rail orother surface, a sliding bar adapted to slide vertically in the bodyportion, a claw carried by the sliding portion adapted to engage thespike and automatically close upon the same when the slide is raised,ratchetbars carried by the body portion, spring-paw1s pivoted to'theslide and adapted to normally engage the ratchet-bars so as to normallyprevent the downward movement of the slide, means for disengaging thepawls from the ratchet-bars, a hand-lever pivoted to the slide, afulcrum-stud protruding from each side of the lever, and a series offulcrumbearings, one above the other, formed in the body, in which thefulcrum-stud is adapted to be placed successively for the raising of theslide, as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a spike-puller, a body portion cut away at its lower end so as tofit the tread of a rail, avertical guideway provided in the bodyportion,a slide adapted to slide in said guideway, ratchet-bars carriedby the body, spring-pawls pivoted to the slide and adapted to engagesaid ratchet-bars so as to normally allow the upward but prevent thedownward movement of the slide, means for disengaging the pawls from theratchet-bar, a claw consisting of two members pivoted together at theircentral portion, a stud protruding from the slide, said stud beingrounded upon its upper portion, the upper ends of thetwo members of theclaw adapted to straddle the stud and hang upon the same,the lower endsof the two members adapted to grip the spike upon each side, a linkpivoted to the rearward side of the slide, a hand-lever to which theother end of the link is pivoted, a stud protruding from each side ofthe hand-lever, a series of notches formed in the body portion, oneabove the other, in which the stud is adapted to rest for the raising ofthe slide, as and for the *purpose specified.

3. In a spike-puller, a body portion consisting of two vertical sidepieces secured together by a cross-strip at its lower end, a handlesecuring together the upper ends of the side pieces, a vertical guidewayprovided in each of the side pieces, a slide adapted to slide withinsaid guideway, a stud rounded upon its upper side formed with the slideand protrudin g forward of the side pieces, a claw consisting of twomembers pivoted together at the center, the upper ends of the twomembers adapted to straddle the stud and hang upon the same so that thelower ends of the two members will be brought toward one an- I other asthe slide is raised, and the upper ends of the two members separated bythe rounding surface of the stud, the lower ends of the claw adapted tograsp the spike upon each side, a ratchet-bar carried upon the insidesurface of each side piece, spring-pawls pivoted to the slide andadapted to engage the ratchet-bars so as to normally prevent thedownward movement of the slide, means for disengaging the pawls from theratchet-bars, a link pivoted at its upper end to the slide, a hand-leverpivoted at its inner end to the other end of the link, a stud protrudingfrom.

each side of the hand-lever, a series of notches provided in therearward edge of each of the side pieces, said notches being one abovethe other and adapted to form a bearing for the stud, as and for thepurpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

- CHARLES F. TILLBERG.

Witnesses:

F. J. KING, REINHOLD SCHMIDT.

